


fire in war

by KoreRosemarinus



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Lawyers, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Politics, Bisexual Rose Tico, Comrade Rose says eat the rich, Enemies to Lovers, Happy Ending and a LOT OF ANGST, Housing Policies, I think this is a slow burn, Immigration & Emigration, Immigration issues, Lawyers, Multi, Rey Kenobi, Rose Tico Deserved Better, San Francisco, San Francisco Bay Area, The author's political and angsty catharsis piece, This is not the escapism that you've been looking for, This may or may not be leftist propaganda, but the coffee, the rent is too damn high
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:34:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25237024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KoreRosemarinus/pseuds/KoreRosemarinus
Summary: Rey Kenobi, Junior Associate at Organa, Holdo, Mothma and Tano LLP, practices civil rights law in San Francisco in pursuit of making the world a better place. She has amazing friends and a wonderful city life, and her career is taking off. Mentored by Leia Organa and her grandfather, legendary San Francisco District Attorney Ben Kenobi, Rey is set up for success as her firm challenges Ben Solo, head counsel for First Order Development, in a heated tenant rights case in the Mission District. But as political tensions rise in her city, Rey begins to question her morals, her ambitions, and whether or not we truly are beyond redemption.
Relationships: Kaydel Ko Connix/Rose Tico, Kylo Ren/Rey, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 28
Kudos: 23





	1. the beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This bad boy is the brainchild of @storiesofreylo (my fearless beta) and I. As two Bay Area natives, the issues that are discussed in this fic are important to us and we felt that there was a story to be told with the SW crew. If you've put on the news recently, the US in particular is going through some real fucked-up garbage times right now, and some justified unrest, and to help process everything, I, in particular, wanted to write a story that gave life to the issues going on as well as mold some semblance of happiness for people (fictional as they may be) in the midst of it all. Star Wars inspired me to go into politics (I have a Masters in Public Policy) and also inspired a lot of my political beliefs (as good forms of art do) so I wanted to honor that influence.
> 
> The title (loosely) comes from San Francisco's motto "Oro en Paz, Fierro en Guerra" (Gold in Peace, Iron (Fire) in War). All SW and SF related info will be linked in the end notes for each chapter. 
> 
> Major love to @storiesofreylo for the moodboard!!!

* * *

Rey Kenobi approached 24th Street BART station on Thursday just like she had every other day: with easy familiarity and minute disgust. After living in San Francisco for a better part of a year, and being in proximity of the city for five, she should’ve admittedly gotten used to the pungent potpourri of piss, trashed burritos, and vomit. Arguably even lifetime locals, the few that remained, admitted they never got used to the unique smell of the San Francisco public transit system. However, betrayed by all the silicon-encrusted grandeur and blinding skyscrapers, she forgot to keep "adjust to gross shit in public" on her growing list of reminders among her clusterfuck of work to-dos that overloaded her planner. Her compatriots at Organa, Holdo, Mothma and Tano LLP still wonder to this day how she manages to keep everything in that little red book and churn out record numbers of petitions. With pride laced with a lining of smugness, Rey would admit that she is a lot of things but incompetent is not one of them. Stanford Law School doesn’t export nincompoops, only the future leaders of tomorrow and the occasional rich kid showpiece. 

As she descended the stairs into the MUNI station fueled by nothing but her fearless optimism (and her Clipper Card recently tapped in), Rey checked her trusty vintage watch on her right wrist. Adjacent to the minor scrape on the glass covering of the watch face but in between the black speck that she couldn’t bear herself to clear up the minute hand was lovingly grazed over the four. 

_Perfect._

She had made a point to get up early to grab herself a latte from the little bougie coffee place that just opened near her firm’s office. Rey, religiously a “medium latte, whatever milk you have is fine, thank you ma’am” sort of gal, occasionally likes to splurge on the rare specialty cup twice a month from a nicer-than-Starbucks place. She felt it was warranted because she did scrape the bottom of the Folgers barrel throughout law school (a long-standing tradition of her grandfather’s) and, with a decent associate's salary, it was an affordable way to celebrate the ordinary. It is San Francisco after all, might as well enjoy the few perks of techie culture. With forty minutes to spare on her commute, she could order her coffee, maybe grab a croissant or overpriced breakfast sandwich, and sit and enjoy the people watching opportunities the city’s commuter traffic afforded her. Maybe she could possibly snatch a look at a company ID or two and covertly stalk them on LinkedIn (not that she usually does that). Love is carefully planned by the algorithm of life, and does not warrant much to chance. 

Romantic notions always fascinated Rey, in that “don’t have enough information, would like to learn more” sort of way. She felt love in all the ways she was expected to as an (arguably) operational human female, but she admitted it didn’t always feel as poetic as she expected. She loved her friends, sure, and had affection so deep for her grandfather that it required a lifeguard. But, even in her ignorance and stubborn belief that “she didn’t have time for love”, Rey knew that something wasn’t quite right. It wasn’t as if she had a “black hole” in her chest or felt like half of her heart was missing, but more like she just felt out of place. She was a book that was tilted to the side against all the other perfectly straight books on the bookshelf. Her awkwardness was comparable to being a wallflower at a teenage party where you watch life happen without you, and you can’t really understand why people do the things they do. But, instead of a cheaply decorated teenage party, it was just society at large.

Even now, looking out on the MUNI platform at a touristy couple (from Germany, if the cargo shorts and hiking boots were any indication), bubbling over with excitement about exploring a new city together, she felt a sense of incomprehension but slight curiosity. The curiosity transformed itself into envy and then was refashioned into a pinch of sadness and a heather grey shade of loneliness. She glanced away from the couple and stared straight out to the tracks with a neutral expression, settling into commuter mode. 

If you asked Rey, she would say that she had experienced love before, but in all verity, she had never been in love before: She never had the courage to do something so wild and radical. She always felt that the love that she had in her life was good enough for her, and that the romantic notion of love is just anathema to success and stability. Rey’s law school days and budding career as a Junior Associate at her firm, as additional measures, also annihilated any possibility of companionship, other than her friends. But, Rey never minded it: she loved the work that she did, and she worked so goddamn hard to get where she is.

Suddenly, the MUNI car slowed in front of her, breaking her out of her rumination. Like a reflex, Rey put in her off-brand earbuds and began to play her usual commuter playlist: a beautiful iconic mix of 2000s emo music and power jams. She was a woman of taste after all: not to mention the music choice transformed a droll commute into a complete headbanger. Her thoughts started to shift from a deep existential introspection to her potential bougie coffee order. Would she get a specialty cold brew or be boring and get a classic flat white? 

By the time she made it off the Embarcadero MUNI stop and walked into Cafe M.A.Z twenty minutes later, she still hadn’t decided. But, as part of a fruitless life-long endeavor to fit in, Rey decided to go for the Chicory Cold Brew that was advertised on the sidewalk because why make important day altering decisions on your own when people can just tell you what to get? 

The cafe was just like any other generic hipster-spawned coffee place offering a unique bean-based “experience”: it boasted its caffeine superiority with white tile walls, black and gold accented furniture, and chalkboard menus. Tired engineers with laptops pinching their faces and obnoxious assholes with AirPods yelling loudly were spread evenly throughout the place, making it unmistakably a certified Silicon Valley Coffeeshop™. As Rey walked into the line for coffee, her shoulders relaxed at the busy pace of the coffeeshop: it put her city girl heart at ease and it was a wonderful way to spend her morning. There was something so freeing about being in a place waist-deep in chaos and life.

Suddenly, a hollow voice slowly got louder in her headphones in the middle of her reverie. It took a second for Rey to comprehend that the noise was coming from in front of her in line. She turned her head away from the coffeeshop crowd and pulled out her headphones to focus on the man in front of her. He was slightly hunched over the counter in what Rey could only assume was the most intimidating image for any barista working at 8:30am: a tailored all-black suit, spotless leather briefcase in hand, perfectly trimmed black hair, and a silver watch that definitely was worth more than the barista’s yearly rent.

What probably made the image more intimidating was the man’s booming condescending tone that commanded immediate fear: “What do you mean you’re out of Ethiopian?” 

The barista at the cash register just politely responded, “I’m sorry, sir, we just ran out a few minutes ago, we’ll most likely get a new shipment in next week.”

The almost inhumane growl of frustration the man responded with shook Rey on an almost metaphysical level. As someone who had the previous honor of working in the service industry, she was affronted beyond belief at the man’s response on the barista’s behalf. But, she supposed, it was a bit much to ask people to use their words when interacting with people who are just trying to pay rent. Her lips pursed as the man stood up straight and provided a totally polite and normal verbal response to the barista: “Is it too much to ask that you keep your stock full or can your minimum wage funded mind not handle that responsibility?”

Now, Rey had potentially two plans of action options at this moment: she could just put her headphones in and forget she ever witnessed the unfortunate event, or she could verbally confront this Armani Exchange reject and get some damn coffee to enjoy her little moment of splendor. 

Let it be known that Rey is a lot of things, but a fucking coward wasn’t one of them.

“Back the fuck off, man, you don’t get to talk to someone that way just because your damn coffee beans are out,” Rey sternly challenged. 

The man, sensing an affront to his precious masculinity, froze and began to twist towards Rey. The barista sent a look of fear and shock to Rey, as if to say: “Girl, are you fucking nuts?” Rey was beginning to doubt her course of action but, again, she was not a fucking coward. She knew she had to put this pretentious Tahoe-skiing Napa-sipping asswipe in his place. She kept her head high and her gaze steady and determined.

As the man in the tailored suit began to turn, Rey was momentarily stunned as she caught sight of his face. She didn’t see much, as you do when you gaze upon someone for the first time, and especially if your adrenaline is spiking, but she would forever remember the shape of the man’s eyes. They were sharp, lethal: like a machete in the deepest brush, ready to clear anything in its way. Rey’s gut feelings were torn between complete fear and utter curiosity. She remained standing tall, not backing down, because, if her experience served her well, she knew a man didn’t dare to challenge a woman back, let alone in public. It was beneath them and their fine polished Oxford shoes. She also knew from her (brief) courtroom and Family Feud watching experience is that the thing people secretly fear most is eye contact, and if she held those fierce eyes long enough, he would back down. 

She matched his eyes as the man fully turned to her, unapologetically brave and headstrong. He, for whatever reason, parted his lips slightly but after holding Rey’s gaze for a moment he scoffed and muttered: “Whatever, this isn’t even worth my time. I have actual important shit to do.” 

Ah, another man afraid of being called out on being a dick by a woman holding her ground: a tale as old as time. Rey tightened her jaw so as not to let her broad victorious smirk sneak to the surface. She had this knack in law school where she could feel the ambiance of an interaction, almost like she could pick up on the energy around her. And if there was one thing Rey could identify, it was the way the room felt when her opponent backing down. The soothing coolness of victory began to settle right as the man made his move towards the door to do whatever “actual important shit” he had to do. However, he didn’t move without closing in slightly on the space between him and Rey in order to make a point.

As the man began to brush past her, Rey’s body tensed in pure defense mode. She felt the crackle of tension in the air, pulling her out of the coolness, hidden from the humdrum of techie vivace in the rest of the shop. It felt like this man and her were the only two people in the world, and that this coffeeshop interaction, impersonal and average as it was, was pure kismet. It was certainly a feeling Rey did not experience while in school, or even her entire life. It was almost like they were destined for one another, even if they did not know it so.

Or, that is what she would think if this man wasn’t an entitled dick. 

The man successfully bumped her shoulder, and the tiny little gremlin in Rey’s brain screamed a wild inferno. But, fortunately, today was Rey’s day, and she chose to politely ignore that inner gremlin in hope that she could salvage what was left of her rotten morning. At least she did the right thing, and that was good enough for her. It always was: Rey was just that kind of person. 

The moment the door to the cafe closed with an exaggerated “THUMP”, Rey turned her attention to the barista, determined to order the whatever-the-fuck that was on the board outside. The interaction with the man left her slightly frazzled, and her plan for her happy morning seemed to have apparently left the coffee shop in the man’s briefcase. However, she would make this day brilliant, and she would still have her coffee treat, Rey would make sure of it. She stepped forward to the barista and gave her best smile as she remarked with warm genuinity, “I’m so sorry that you had to experience that.”

The barista responded, “Thanks, no worries though, we usually get one or two of those guys pretty regularly. Can’t seem to take ‘no’ as an acceptable answer.” 

Rey knew all too well: law school provided an almost obscene amount of those circumstances for her to witness. 

“I know the type, see them at work all the time, so I’m right there with you.”

The barista shot Rey a goofy grin, acclimating to a more non-threatening customer service experience. She remarked, “Sisters in arms, I guess! What can I get ya?”

Rey mentioned the Chicory Cold Brew coffee on the board outside. The barista nodded, “Nice choice, always popular.”

The shy kid in Rey preened at the social acceptance of something so minuscule and unimportant as her coffee order. The barista (who Rey noticed had a name tag labelled “Wanda”) went ahead and began making the coffee, and making sure to keep up the conversation simultaneously. She was a true Silicon Valley barista: she could a little bit of everything all at once. 

“So, you work in tech or tech via proxy?” Wanda joked.

Rey chuckled, admiring the barista hard at work, “Law, actually.”

Wanda gave a hearty scoff as she finished putting a layer of chicory syrup at the bottom of a clear plastic cup. “I was going to guess Finance. But the law thing doesn’t surprise me, either. What kind of law you do, honey?”

“Civil rights law.”

Wanda let out a whistle as she scooped out ice and placed it into the clear cup. She gracefully picked out a pitcher of iced coffee from the fridge under the espresso machine and began to pour over the ice. She followed up with, “You’re a certified good person, huh? Seems we could always use more of them these days.”

Rey flushed under the praise: she was confident enough in who she was but always felt awkward when receiving compliments. It clogged up her throat with cotton balls and she simultaneously felt like her chest was like a juice box being squeezed out by a hyper two-year old. She choked out an uncomfortable laugh and mumbled, “I guess so, we do our best at least.”

Wanda put a dash of half-and-half into the coffee and snapped a lid on the cup. She handed a paper straw to Rey and pushed the coffee across the counter. The barista dryly muttered, “Well, at least someone is helping those who need it, y’know?”

Rey gave a sympathetic look to Wanda as she took the coffee. “I suppose that’s true, how much do I owe you?”

Wanda waved her hand and brightened up. She smiled, “Oh honey, don’t even worry about it! It’s on the house.”

Rey’s eyes widened, “No, really? You don’t have to”

Wanda smirked, “Think of it as a thank you for standing up for me earlier. Can’t say no to a thank you, right?”

Rey smiled with warmth, and giggled. She remarked, “You got me there, I suppose. Thank you so much!” and began to turn towards the door. 

Wanda called out, “Anytime, sugar!” and Rey was out the door, ready to finally start her day.

As she walked towards the firm, she was adamant that it would begin on a good note, even though she had a feeling she would not be able to shake off the feeling of sharp eyes slicing right through her soul. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **San Francisco Notes:**  
>  Rey lives in the [Mission District](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_District,_San_Francisco), but works in the [Financial District (FiDi)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_District,_San_Francisco). The Mission District is known for having a predominantly Latino population, but recent tech booms have led to gentrification in the Mission so the demographics are changing. 
> 
> The MUNI is the subway/bus public transport option in SF. The BART is a separate subway public transport option, and tends to share stations with the MUNI. Confusing, I know. 
> 
> Additionally, the Clipper Card is the universal transit pass that you can use within the Bay Area.
> 
> Rey's coffee order is somewhat inspired by Blue Bottle Coffee's [New Orleans Iced Coffee](https://bluebottlecoffee.com/preparation-guides/new-orleans-iced). Blue Bottle is a local (hipster) coffee chain that does great cups of coffee.
> 
> Mysterious Man (let's just call him "Ben")'s mention of Ethiopian blend beans is a [bean option](https://www.peets.com/ethiopian-fancy) that Peet's (a regional coffee chain) offers. 
> 
> **Star Wars References:**  
> [Wanda (FLO)](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/FLO)


	2. the awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey was a natural fit to be Leia’s mentee at the firm, and was honored to be able to fall into her legendary footsteps. She, like any ambitious associate, was eager to make her mark in the legal world doing something impactful. If she was able to be a part of the great Leia Organa-Solo’s legacy, she would not just be making her mark: she’d be making history.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thank you to my fearless beta @storiesofreylo for the moodboard and for being the best cheerleader <3 
> 
> Reference notes at the end for SF-related mentions, legal notes, and Star Wars references. 
> 
> **Big BIG disclaimer on the legal jargan:** I was an immigration paralegal, and am not nor ever was an attorney. I cannot guarantee everything is super correct (as US immigration policy really does change day to day), and please do not take my references as legal advice. The immigration info has been manipulated for dramatic effect. Additionally, I have never touched tenant rights in a legal capacity soooo I cannot guarantee everything is super accurate there as well. 
> 
> Enjoy watching our fearless heroine as the plot begins to thicken...
> 
> Note: Extended chapter count because its gonna be a doozy and I want to make sure I don't cram my chapter too much without ruining flow. I also added a few tags and will be updating them as the story progresses.

* * *

Rey had entered one of the big corporate buildings off of the Embarcadero after her abnormal coffee experience. She, almost like a machine, took her every day route, undeterred even for a single step. She waved hello to Benthic, the security guard, who gave a prompt wave back. Benthic came to San Francisco from a small Eastern European village of Yar Togna, if Rey remembered correctly. His brother Edrio, whose I-589 petition was filed by Jyn Erso, one of the firm’s most prolific immigration attorneys, lived with him in Russian Hill. If the petition wasn’t filed, Edrio may still be evading arrest as a political dissenter in his home country, or worse. As a token of gratitude and a sign of respect for Jyn, Benthic took a position as a security guard to make sure everyone was safe from the dangerous detritus of the San Franciscan streets. 

Rey swiped her badge at the security gate, strode into the marble elevators, and pressed the 23rd floor. She made a quick mental note of her schedule for that day, trying to remember if she had any meetings, important or otherwise, as she made it to her firm’s floor. She quickly skipped out of the elevator, strode down the carpeted hallway, and opened the door for Suite 2187.

The offices of Organa, Holdo, Mothma and Tano LLP were just like any other: elevators of grandeur, wall to wall marbling, and simultaneously abhorrent break rooms that make the various summer interns frown and consider the fact that the firm may be allocating their furnishing funds unevenly. Nonetheless, Rey found the office comforting and almost weirdly perfect through the company she managed to keep at said location. The firm routinely hired law school grads from the local universities, but was adamant in finding the pinnacle of achievement in their new hires beyond the usual metrics of success. This led to Rey being hired, as well as her (certified) best friend Rose Tico, who had graduated from UC Davis Law School the same year Rey had graduated from Stanford Law.

Rose was also a Junior Associate, whose specialty in immigration law made her a good match to work under Jyn and Ahsoka Tano, one of the firm’s partners. The firm’s immigration law team provided a holistic package of immigration legal needs: In addition to providing the basic employment-based immigration services for the local tech companies, it provided various pro bono support for asylees and their families, such was the case for Edrio. The firm certainly did not have to worry about a shortfall in business: the fluctuating nature of immigration policy made the team’s lawyers high in demand. While profitable, it simultaneously drove them beyond the classic definition of insane, indicated by Rose’s recent sudden pick of whiskey as her new poison of choice on Friday nights over the usual glass of moscato that she had adored in her college and law school years. 

Rose lived in the Sunset district with her sister Paige, who was currently beginning her second year of medical school at UCSF. Paige had basically raised Rose in conjunction with her parents, who always found ways to make ends meet at the expense of their days. They often worked weeks straight at multiple jobs to try and give the sisters a sense of stability that they didn’t have in Vietnam. When they escaped Vietnam as refugees after the war, the pair dreamed of their children having a life that was constant and consistent. It was to be reliable, and almost the complete opposite of their own lives. They believed it was their obligation as parents to ameliorate the circumstances for their children, no matter what the cost. 

Paige, in a determined hunt for social and financial security, expended every resource she had to make it to medical school. While she did get a full ride to Johns Hopkins, her love for her family, and especially Rose, persuaded her to remain close in San Francisco. Rose, mirroring her sister’s success, clawed her way through law school, balancing jobs and various legal society obligations to graduate at the top of her class. The true miracle in the midst of their success is that the Tico sisters managed to stay true to themselves through the entire process, never once losing sight of where they came from or how lucky they were to have what they had. Their success was quintessentially the American Dream, and they were proud of it. Once Rose landed her current position, she and Paige moved out to a modest two-bedroom steal in their local neighborhood. While they were close as a family, the sisters wanted to preserve their own sense of independence. Rose and Paige often had Rey over for periodic wine nights, fulfilling their strict duty as friends to get each other as drunk as possible on expensive adult grape juice.

Rey’s can-do attitude and Rose’s tenacity made them fast friends and especially capable co-workers. They shared almost everything with each other, be it workplace gossip or deep existential introspections on their own mortality. Rey knew Rose very well, as the latter’s ability to share whatever is on their mind made it easier than one would expect. However, even though Rose knew her better than other people, Rey did not exactly have the talent of being honest with her feelings with others, including herself. She found it off putting, at best, and emotional intimacy to her just made things more complex that it needed to be. She thought of it like a cake: why have a 5 layer cake when you can get the taste and satisfaction from the same cake if it had one layer? Rey did not need the frills and ornamentation of life that intimacy provided: her life was as good as it was in the moment. 

As Rey entered the firm’s doors, she caught chaos wreaking havoc in her office. Papers were being turned, printers were going off, loud phone conversations were overlapping: it was pandemonium to the average Joe, but to Rey, it was just another Thursday at the office, and she adored every bit of it. She glided like she had invisible winged sandals to her grey-beige cubicle and sat her coffee down on the desk. As she booted up her desktop (because why would you need a laptop in this day in age?) and got comfortable in her office chair, a knock sounded on one of the panels of her cubicle. Rey promptly turned to the opening, making sure to smooth out her average navy pencil skirt and not-so-remarkable grey sweater as she did so, and saw her dear Rose looking at her with what could only be described as “ugh” moulded onto her face. Rey could only briefly laugh: as much as Rose was doing what she loved, it did not mean that the days were always easy. 

“That bad already, huh?”

Rose chuckled grimly, “Should’ve expected this on a Thursday. Did you end up trying that new coffee place I recommended?” 

Rey gave an exasperated groan and slumped in her chair for dramatic effect, “Yes, but I had to call out some asshole who was harassing the barista. Can you believe people like that?”

Rose shook her head in disbelief, “He was harassing Wanda? Fuck me, she’s the sweetest! Just when you think people couldn’t get any better.”

It didn’t surprise Rey that Wanda’s charms were the textbook definition of infectious. She truly was a gem.

“I know, right?” Rey responded, “But he left right after I spoke up so it wasn’t as bad as it could be. I even got free coffee out of it.”

“Hey, that’s always a plus. Oh, by the way, Leia told me to come get you once you came in.” 

“Oh really? Must be something pretty important then,” Rey remarked as she started to get up and take her coffee with her as she followed Rose towards the partners’ offices. 

“Yeah, I have no idea. Ahsoka and her were chatting this morning in her office so I’m crossing fingers we’ll be working together more _intimately_ ,” Rose remarked as she nudged Rey playfully and wiggled her brows. 

Rey tried to hide her snort behind her hand and replied in a muted whisper, “You’re awful.”

“Hey, I got no hits on Her or Hinge so you now have to deal with my shameless flirting.”

Rey shook her head as she continued to fight her smile, “I mean this is the most my love life has developed in the last year so hey I’ll take it.” 

Rose groaned, “Rey, I’m telling you, you have to at least try and date. You can’t just dive into work and hope someone comes your way: you gotta put yourself out there.”

Rey sighed, “I know, I just feel pretty good where I’m at now, y’know? I don’t want to waste my time when I can-”

“What, avoid human interaction and enjoy quality time with yourself?”

Rey thought on it for a moment and responded with shameless agreement, “Essentially, yeah.”

Rose stopped them both and gave Rey an unamused scowl, “Fine, I can respect that. But Rey, at some point, you gotta jump past your fear of intimacy, man.” 

Rey rolled her eyes. “You make it sound so dramatic,” she countered while turning to continue the walk towards Leia’s office, “I promise, Rose, I’m perfectly happy where I am.” 

Rose held her hands up in defense. “Okay, okay, I won’t press it: I just feel like you deserve to not feel lonely, you know?”

Rey gave a small smile, “I know. Don’t worry, I’m alright where I am.”

Truth of the matter was that Rey had felt alone all her life. It was almost as if she was born with a lingering sense of solitude, a permanent chill grazing its fingers along her back shoulders like a ghost. She had resigned herself to this feeling that she would have for the rest of her days. No one truly knew her, not even her friends and family, even if they thought they did. As much as Rose’s encouragement touched her, Rey knew she would still feel lonely no matter what, and even with her fortified heart, she could not bear to think of the pain of being lonely when, in a relationship, she would be the physical opposite of alone. 

Rose gave her a big smile and a pat on the shoulder as both of them approached Office M-10. “Okay, babes. Also, what do you think this is about?” she remarked as she poked her head in the window. 

Rey shook her head. “Your guess is as good as mine,” she murmured as she knocked on the doorframe. 

In the beautiful, walnut-accented, and spacious office sat a small woman hunched over a stack of papers, pen and ink smudges in hand. Her head poked up for a small glance to look at the source of the noise, and she gave a warm smile at the two women at the entrance. 

“Hey, Rey, thanks for coming by,” Leia Organa-Solo (Esq., if you’re really being proper) greeted, her soft but powerful eyes observing at the ladies. A gold watch jingled on her hand as she motioned for Rey to sit in the spare chair across from her. She moved forward to sit as Rose stood at the entrance, waiting for Leia’s direction. 

“Thanks for bringing her, Rose,” Leia remarked with a sense of subtle authority, “Heads up, I think Ahsoka wanted to see you about that Cantonica VP’s AOS that she was working on.”

“Thanks Leia,” Rose replied promptly, “I’ll go see her now.” She closed the office door and her muted steps disappeared into the background. 

Rey focused on her mentor in front of her. Leia headed the Civil Rights legal team at the firm and Rey, as her associate attorney, supported her on cases that ranged from tenants rights to employment discrimination. She thrived on the diversity of legal topics that centered around helping others, and relished in knowing that her successes collectively made the world a better place. 

Leia knew Rey’s grandfather from her activist days in the 80s and 90s, when he was still the District Attorney. They worked together to bring down the people who killed Bail and Breha Organa, Leia’s parents. Their investigation uncovered the city officials responsible for the killings in addition to a larger internal conspiracy to manipulate the crack crisis in San Francisco for personal gain that went all the way up to Mayor William Tarkin. Ben Kenobi’s case successfully put the officials behind bars and garnered widespread attention, and Leia’s career as an activist shifted towards law. Her subsequent rise to fame made her the most sought-after and successful civil rights attorney in the Bay Area. Rey, as Ben’s granddaughter, was a natural fit to be Leia’s mentee at the firm, and was honored to be able to fall into her legendary footsteps. She, like any ambitious associate, was eager to make her mark in the legal world doing something impactful. If she was able to be a part of the great Leia Organa-Solo’s legacy, she would not just be making her mark: she’d be making history. 

Leia folded her hands on the desk and shot her attentive eyes towards Rey and her coffee cup through her glasses, commanding attention and action as she began to speak. 

“So, we have a new case that’s just come in this weekend,” she commented as she gently pulled her rectangle glasses off her face, “and I think we’re going to need all hands on deck for this one.” 

Rey smiled and remarked, “Is it going to be a big one, then?” right before sipping her coffee. Damn, Wanda really knew her shit when it came to cold brew. She definitely would be making her way back to Cafe M.A.Z. again. 

Leia nodded and simply grumbled, “Yup, it’s a doozy. But, after the success we had with the de Lothal case I don’t think it’ll be too rough.”

The de Lothal case was a tenants rights case where the owner of a Cuban bistro in the Mission was about to be evicted because their landlord upped the rents on them at the last minute with the intention of renting the space out to a boutique chain at a higher price. It was a tough case, as the landlord didn’t believe in technology so the evidence followed a literal paper trail, but they managed to win and the bistro was able to secure a rent control agreement with the city and the landlord. The case gave them a good foundation for legal precedent for all their upcoming tenant rights cases, so it was a huge victory for the firm. 

Rey sipped more of her cold brew before replying, “So tenant rights then?”

Leia nodded, “Yeah. It’s a classic case: A family, the Balmacedas, have lived in their apartment building on Valencia for almost twenty years. A couple of months ago, representatives of First Order Development approached the family, offering to pay them a few months in rent in order to purchase the property. The family refused, but the reps kept coming back to try and give them a better offer. After the last refusal, while the Balmacedas are out at work, their landlord gives them an abrupt eviction notice, saying that they’ve been underpaying rent for the last few months, even though the Balmacedas never received a rent increase notice. The Balmacedas are planning on suing the landlord for wrongful eviction, and First Order Development is planning on helping to defend the landlord.”

Rey nodded in understanding: In places like the Mission, stories like this were a dime a dozen, especially for lower-income communities. She gulped down the rest of her cold brew and quickly replied, “But it seems pretty simple then, right? Shouldn’t be too bad.”

“Not exactly. First Order are big fish in the developing world, and have quite the legal team supporting them. They get suits like this all the time and manage to swat them down at every turn, using whatever means necessary.”

Rey scowled, “So they like to play dirty then?”

Leia nodded as she leaned back into her nice leather desk chair. “Yes, hence why we can use all the support. I’ll lead on this, and Holdo will co-counsel, but I’ll need your help to make sure we cover all our bases and prep our best arguments. You really nailed it on the de Lothal case and would love to have your talents on this one.” 

Rey bit her lip in order to stifle her excited smile. A case as big as this would be amazing to be a part of, and if she could help out long-time SF residents, even better. She also was a sucker for praise, and Leia rarely told falsehoods.

Leia shifted to open her notebook before remembering something and pointed to Rey to garner her attention, “Also, before I forget, I want you to sit in on the meeting I’m having with the landlord’s attorneys in half an hour. We’ll touch base afterwards to strategize: I highly doubt they’ll want to cave out of court.”

Rey gave a small giggle, “I don’t know about that, you never know what they’ll do.”

Leia audibly groaned, “Somehow I am skeptical about that,” as if she already knew how the events were going to play out. She turned towards Rey and handed her a thin plastic folder from the top of her desk. She directed, “Go and read up on the case before our meeting. Holdo and I will come snag you and we’ll walk over together and present a united front.”

Rey scooted back and began to rise up, taking the proffered folder and tossing her empty coffee cup into the nearby trash can. As limited as her experience was working under Leia, one thing she knew was not to question her directions. She inherently was born with a presence that demanded respect and held her stance as if she was the general of ethereal legions, unwavering in her guidance. Who was Rey to question that?

“Great, I’ll go ahead and read and make some brief directional notes.”

Leia smiled as if Rey had brought the sun out from the clouds. “Thank you so much, Rey. I have all my faith in you. Feel free to leave the door open when you leave.”

Rey left as instructed and promptly walked back to her desk. Once she was comfortable in her chair, she checked her watch and saw she had twenty minutes before the meeting. She spent that time dutifully cataloguing the details from the brief in the folder. Rey was confused about Leia’s warnings: the case was truly cut-and-dry. The Balmacedas had a strong argument for their suit, and the de Lothal case gave them a solid precedent for the case. What was Leia so worried about? 

Before she realized it was time, she heard a knock at her cubicle and sharply turned her head to see Leia and Amilyn Holdo, one of the firm’s partners and head of the Policy team, standing with their notepads.

Holdo smiled as she stopped her knocking, “Hey, Rey, ready to go?”

Rey hurriedly stood up and nearly screeched, “Oh my god, I completely lost track of time,” and pulled together her folder. She snatched a pen and legal pad that was handy on her desk, plucked her navy blazer from its hanger on the cubicle wall, and declared, “I’m ready now.”

The partners gave friendly beams on their faces as they collectively walked to Conference Room O-17. For whatever reason, Rey felt a warmth in the air. Maybe it was anticipation, maybe it was nerves, but she felt a small but mighty spark of energy in her fingers as she approached the conference room. The noise around her seemed to fade away like all the sound in the universe was gently blown away by the breeze, and her eyes focused on two suited figures standing outside the doorway of the conference room. Sable locks tousled in the air as one of the figures turned towards Rey and the partners, displaying a tense and angled jaw on a face ornately decorated with faint freckles and a strong brow. The sharp eyes that she couldn’t shake off bore into her figure, and she now noticed they were almost the color of the redwood trees at the Presidio. Rey was struck at the serendipity of the situation. 

_You. The man from the coffee shop._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **San Francisco notes**  
>  Valencia Street is a HUGE street in San Francisco that is considered to be one of the main streets in the Mission District. 
> 
> The [Presidio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidio_of_San_Francisco) is an area of SF that is super pretty and has a lot of nature. If you ever visit, I recommend a look to get a glimpse of the beauty of California and to see our famous redwoods.
> 
> [Her](https://weareher.com/) is a dating app for WLW that is popular in the Bay, and [Hinge](https://hinge.co/) is another dating app for all orientations that is popular here. 
> 
> **Legal notes:**
> 
> The [I-589](https://www.uscis.gov/i-589) petition is what is filed on behalf of an asylee (someone seeking asylum) who has already entered the US. It basically asks Homeland Security to not deport the asylee because they have a legitimate case for seeking asylum. Edrio's status as a political dissenter whose life was in danger in his home country gives him grounds to seek asylum. Once approved, Edrio would be able to live permanently in the US. 
> 
> There are two sides to immigration law (in my professional experience): Employment-based immigration (work visas and the like) and basically everything else which tends to fall under pro bono (law stuff but its free) work. This includes asylum law, family immigration issues, [DACA](https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-response-to-january-2018-preliminary-injunction), etc. 
> 
> The Cantonica VP's [AOS (Adjustment of Status)](https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/adjustment-status) petition means that he currently is in the process of getting a green card (permanent residency) and is adjusting his status from being a visa holder to a resident. Great news for them, as sometimes it takes foreign nationals decades to get to this stage to become a US citizen or permanent resident. 
> 
> **Star Wars References:**  
> [Benthic](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Benthic)  
> [Edrio](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Edrio)  
> [Yar Togna](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Yar_Togna)  
> [23rd Floor (AA-23)](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Detention_Block_AA-23)  
> ["Suite" 2187](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Cell_2187)  
> [Office M-10 (Alderaan's Coordinates)](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Alderaan)  
> [Cantonica](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Cantonica)  
> [William "Wilhuff" Tarkin](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Wilhuff_Tarkin)  
> [(Bistro) de Lothal](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Bistro_De_Lothal)  
> Balmaceda is one of [Pedro Pascal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Pascal) (the Mandalorian)'s last names. I just think he's neat.  
> [Room O-17 (D'Qar's Coordinates)](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/D%27Qar)


	3. the rising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Kylo,” she confirmed, uttering his name in a near whisper that took her by surprise. She hated being surprised, normally, but the complete providence of the situation overtook her. 
> 
> He looked straight back at her like her voice pulled his soul straight out of him. Time could’ve stopped with the way their eyes were caught in one another. The sounds of the office beyond the door disappeared and the warmth in the air returned, swirling around them both

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you to @storiesofreylo for the AMAZING moodboard and for beta-ing <3 I literally love you so much.
> 
> Reference notes at the end: shouldn't be as many as last week ;) 
> 
> The plot continues to thicken like gravy...and with Ben's POV! 
> 
> CW: smoking cigarettes after the "&-&-&" page break

* * *

There are few moments in our lives where we are simply at a true loss of words at the miraculous coincidences of events. Rey was currently feeling this blankness as she studied the dark-haired man and tried to analyze the situation properly. The first fact she identified: The man she called out at the coffee shop was her new adversary, and if the flare of recognition in the man’s eyes was anything to go by, he clearly did not forget her. Fuck, Fate was truly a cruel mistress. The warmth in the air of the office became more intense, beating down on Rey like she was trudging through a desert, and her eyes, as much as they tried, could not seem to find their way out of the forest of redwoods in the man’s stare. The noise of the world around them stayed hidden, almost as if Fate perceived the sheer magnitude of this meeting and provided them with a sign to indicate it as such. 

The noise suddenly came back to Rey as she almost ran into the partners. They suddenly stopped before the man and his coworker, a red-haired man with a pallid complexion and lethal green eyes. If Rey had to guess, his scowl was probably a nearly permanent fixture on his face.

Leia greeted them with, “Good to see you made it,” as if she was already familiar with the two. Rey’s interest piqued as she considered that maybe Leia did know these two well. She gestured to the door of the conference room and continued, “Shall we?”

The red-haired man gave a small smile, “Yes, of course,” and strode in with the firm partners following suit. The man from the coffee shop sharply pulled his gaze from Rey and followed afterwards. Rey, slightly shocked still at the progression of events, began to walk over the threshold of the conference room. 

The conference room was sleek, much like most of the law firm’s offices. It was accented with the classic IKEA almost-silver metallic handles on all of the cabinets and drawers and as its centerpiece the office splurged on a beautiful dark mahogany conference table, coated in a sheen that could reflect the clouds in the sky through the roof. It was a pristine room, but also, as Rey had previously noticed, one of the coldest. She thanked the useless social convention of looking put together so that she could “be taken seriously” for the dual purpose of her blazer. 

What made the room even colder was how the coffee man’s now disgruntled glare pierce through her very being, and how she was somehow able to maintain a cold visage of confidence and a deep “fuck you” energy. She hoped it would give off the intention that she was not one to be messed with. She sent a glower back to him, but in a minutely threatening way that did not infringe on the professional manner of the meeting at hand. It was a glare to set the tone, not to start a war. She was a professional, through and through, and she was ready to get down to business. 

As all the attorneys sat comfortably on their respective sides of the table in the extra padded chairs that definitely cost way too much money, the air became slightly warmer, and the mood seemed to become more neutral. The dark undertones of the furnishings mixed with the typical office-yellow lighting to provide a beige look to the entire meeting.

Leia gazed at the coffee shop man with what Rey could only describe as a peculiar look: she was either full in observation or hiding behind a wall of stoicism to put up a front. Knowing Leia, she was most likely doing both. She often told Rey to “never underestimate your opponent” , when it came to these sort of meetings, and that first acquaintances are often very deceiving. She also taught Rey to acknowledge your vulnerability, but to put it away until after the fight.

Thankfully, she already knew that second one so she was ahead of the curve. Living in the City was not for the trusting folk. 

Holdo broke the silence: “Well, Mr. Hux, Mr. Ren, thank you both for coming. We’re looking forward to having some meaningful collaboration to mitigate the courts as much as possible. ” 

Holdo’s smile and friendly charm was disarming, and Rey was convinced that was how she made her way to the top of her field: by charming everyone at every step of the way. Make no mistake, however, she knew that beneath Holdo’s kindly and approachable demeanor was the calculating mind of a military veteran. She, if need be, could be relentless and ruthless: just ask anyone involved in the Chyron Belt case a few years back. 

The coffee shop man (whom Rey was not sure was Mr. Hux or Mr. Ren at this rate) did not waver from scowling, indicating that he was either perpetually disgruntled or soulless (Rey was convinced of the latter, to be quite honest, if his coffee shop antics were any indication). However, his red-haired companion gave a crooked smirk, and responded with a slick tone that could put oil barons at political fundraisers to shame: “Of course, we are hoping to come with a suitable conclusion that ideally avoids the courts. Ren here has quite the legal record-”

_Ah, so Mr. Ren it is._

“-if I remember correctly, and it would be a shame for him to exercise his muscles unnecessarily. First Order Development is committed to assisting local landlords in our community while they are dealing with less than cooperative tenants.”

The rude tone of Mr. Hux’s words made Rey want to groan in exasperation, but she held her tongue. She was not going to risk the success of this case all for the sake of not controlling her temper. She shifted her legs in her chair and gave a small glance to Leia, hoping to follow her lead. She had not moved since she sat, and she continued to stare at Mr. Ren across the table. He just stared back, face unmoving and neutral. It was completely different to the angry soul she chastised at the coffee shop, and she was nearly disappointed. It was much easier to see someone as an enemy if you can write off their emotional complexity. Plus, the legal field could always use some drama (like an angry tirade about coffee beans) to spice up the paperwork. 

Leia broke her silent stare and responded with, “Of course, we would hate to interrupt your numerous acts of service in the community. We are also committed to a similar goal of cooperation and saving our clients’ livelihood is what we aim to do here.” She turned her head to Rey with her usual warm eyes, as if nothing ever happened, and commented: “Before we go too far, however, please meet my associate Rey Kenobi, who will be assisting Amilyn and I on this matter. She will be the main point of contact for this case.”

Rey gave a small smile as she stood up and held out her hand to the men above her: “It’s wonderful to meet you both.”

The men stood and Mr. Hux shook her hand first: “A pleasure, surely.” 

Rey shifted her hand to Mr. Ren (after almost having to pull her hand away from Mr. Hux’s clammy one), somewhat dreading having to make eye contact (let alone minute physical contact) with the man she accosted that morning. But she was a professional: she could do this. Plus, she had overcome harder things in her life. 

As their hands met, her eyes naturally met his. They seemed less sharp and more rounded this time, but only for a second. His deep brown forests in his eyes seemed to clear, giving Rey a look into a conflicted soul. She wasn’t sure how she knew this; she just did. It also seemed like she was staring into the vision of a kindred spirit, someone who was lost in the world as she was. His hand seemed to nearly encompass hers, and his fingers gently wrapped around her palm. Small bits of electricity followed the current of her bloodstream all the way to her chest from her fingertips, and she almost lost her breath in the dynamic of the moment.

But Rey remembered she was a professional, and began to pull her hand away. Mr. Ren pulled her hand back slightly, keeping her in place, and remarked, “Please, Kylo is fine.” 

_Kylo Ren_. Now that was a name: a name that indicated power, success, and domination. The largesse of this man certainly reinforced that image, and the handshake only added to the evidence. This was a man who valued control in all things, Rey could guess.

“Kylo,” she confirmed, uttering his name in a near whisper that took her by surprise. She hated being surprised, normally, but the complete providence of the situation overtook her. 

He looked straight back at her like her voice pulled his soul straight out of him. Time could’ve stopped with the way their eyes were caught in one another. The sounds of the office beyond the door disappeared and the warmth in the air returned, swirling around them both 

Clarity yanked Rey’s attention back to the matter at hand and she tore her hand from his intimate but firm grip. She immediately sat in her chair, trying to pull together some sense of dignity to save face in front of her partners. 

Leia gave her a glance, confirming that she was alright to proceed. She looked at Holdo on the other side of her, who nodded back at her, and Leia, with the restrained ferocity she was infamous for, began the negotiations.

\---

As expected, things did not proceed smoothly. 

“We understand that your client has been caught in a rather unfortunate situation,” Hux remarked.

“Yes, that would be one way to put it,” Leia retorted with a tone drier than the pavement in August.

Hux seemed unperturbed at the retort, but his eyes began to lose a small bit of politeness. Rey saw these eyes in people that saw the immense burden of human interaction as a means to an end of their own goals. They saw the surface view of the world around them and only put stake in things that benefitted them. They used false compassion in order to see through their agendas. 

Rey’s mouth minutely curled in disgust. _How despicable_. She had no patience for people like this.

Hux responded, “Well, they hardly blame the miscommunication entirely on the landlord. Mr. Watto was fully within his rights to increase the rent.”

“That is not what we are contesting,” Holdo interjected, “We are contesting the fact that Mr. Watto did not give sufficient notice to the Balmacedas when the rent was increased.” 

Kylo interceded as Hux was about to continue: “With all due respect, you don’t have any supporting evidence that the notice was lost in the mail or was received and then destroyed. You’re going off of one family’s word against their landlord’s -”

“Mr. Ren,” Leia abruptly intervened, with calm belligerence in her tone. Hux and Kylo regarded her with minute shock and threats in their gaze. “You may be aware that the City requires landlords to provide multiple notices in order to sufficiently give their tenants’ notice of a rent increase and to avoid this issue. Are you suggesting that these notices somehow got lost in the mail — every time?”

“Of course not, Counselor,” Kylo responded, leaning forward over his forearms on the table. “I am merely suggesting that you don’t have any proof that it didn’t happen, so how can you say Mr. Watto didn’t issue notices and then some inexplicable event occurred and disrupted the notice’s delivery.”

Rey could choke on the tension in the air. She couldn’t identify what it was in particular about this meeting but somehow everything seemed so abnormal compared to the usual negotiations. They weren’t always pretty but something about this seemed so _personal_. She felt so out of the loop and it poked that insecurity in her chest that throbbed whenever she felt so isolated: that she was being abandoned and set up to fail. 

If the tension didn’t already give it away, the stare down between Leia and Kylo did: they were going to court.

Holdo politely folded her padfolio and cleared her throat. “It seems we’ve reached an impasse. Shall we move this to court proceedings?” 

Kylo responded, already standing up, “Yes, I think we’re done here.” Hux stood up in tandem with the partners and Rey after him. They all shook hands, save for Leia and Kylo, and the two men left the conference room promptly. 

Rey glanced at the partners and finally took in the state of Leia. For all the times she stood strong and fierce, this one time she looked disheveled and slightly broken as she frowned watching the two men leave the firm. While she didnt know what really went on emotionally in the conference room, Rey knew it must have had to be something big for Leia to break. She always famously said to “save your sorrow for after the fight” when cases had breakdowns or setbacks and to focus on meeting the end goal to victory. 

Holdo put her hand on Leia’s shoulder once the men left, smiling compassionately at her old friend.

“Looks like we need to prepare for battle,” she said as she turned to look at Rey. 

Leia recovered quickly and nodded, “Agreed. Rey, can you draw up the briefs for the court and get the ball rolling?”

Rey, never being the one to disappoint, enthusiastically nodded her head, “Of course. I’ll have those done for your review by end of day today.” 

Leia smiled affectionately, “Thank you, Rey. I’ll leave you to it.”

Rey gave a half-smile as the partners walked back to their offices, potentially to discuss the case. But she couldn’t shake the weird ambiance of the meeting nor the reaction she had to Kylo Ren. Who was he anyways?

_Time to do some research._

Rey made a beeline to her desk and booted up her desktop. She had a strange need to find out everything about the man who inadvertently shook up her day and, potentially, her life. 

* * *

_ &-&-& _

_This was not how I imagined this day was going to go._

When Ben Organa-Solo (or Mr. Kylo Ren, if you have the immense pleasure of working with him) woke up that morning, he had a plan. He always had a plan. He aimed to exert control in all things, because that was the only way he could ensure that he would be successful. In his life, failure is simply not an option. 

So, when Ben had to see his mother after cutting off all communication with her approximately eight years ago, he knew to prepare himself accordingly. He planned to wake up early, work out as he normally did (on his Peloton and in front of his Mirror™), drink his Soylent, grab a coffee from the new place he’s been going to, and go through with his meeting without losing face. It was as simple as that.

But of course the universe had different plans. For one, his Peloton instructor had to sub out, which was annoying. It was just expected that his favorite Soylent flavor had just run out in his cupboard and he completely blanked on ordering more. However it was another matter entirely that the coffee place ran out of the beans he liked. That, clearly, was the universe just fucking with him. And of course the girl that had called him out at the coffee shop just _had_ to work for his mother and had to be at that goddamn meeting. He hated that beyond words: he despised feeling out of control in those situations. Now, that whole incident couldn’t have just a glitch in the Matrix, that must have been destiny throwing her into his path. If Ben was a superstitious person, he would’ve chalked up the warm feeling in the air or the way he lost his words during the meeting to some divine providence. But he was not that man, so he explained it the only way that made sense to him (and didn’t have to compromise his sense of comfortability): just some good-old coincidence.

As he entered the marble elevators to _finally_ make it out of the building with Hux, Ben reflected on the meeting as a whole. It was going all fine and dandy until he started to lose his composure when she challenged him. Even after all these years, and at the ripe age of thirty-two, he found it immensely difficult to hold his ground against his mother. He imagined that most children feel this way about their parents, but Leia Organa had a magnetism around her that somehow silenced all opposition. Ben was once in awe of his mother’s power, but now he simply despised it. He will admit that he got an unusual thrill from being able to be toe-to-toe with her, almost like he was able to claim the fears of his childhood and repurpose them into strength conveyed through ferocity. 

_The apple never seems to fall far from the tree_ , he mused.

While Ben could not look over the turbulence his mother introduced into his childhood, he had to admit that his tenacity for speaking his truth was certainly a family trait he inherited. The Skywalker-Solo-Organa lineage was prestigious in San Francisco and they certainly didn’t get their name in acting docile. When Ben first became Kylo Ren officially at First Order Development, his mentor and the CEO of the company Andrew Snoke referred to him as a “monster in court”. And he was that: _a monster_. Once he shucked off the remnants of a false legacy under a new name, Ben was finally free to let loose. Detached from failing expectations, Ben could ascend to his own greatness as one of the most ruthless real estate attorneys in the Bay Area. He was not above digging deep into regulations or people’s pasts: he was a very thorough attorney. But, he, unlike others, just happened to see beyond the norms of legal practice and pull out the dirtiest tricks that most of his law school professors at Stanford would balk at. But that was what he got paid for: to win. 

When the elevator began to descend, Hux was already fidgeting with the zippo in his suit jacket pocket. It was the tell tale sign that the Director of Business Development was in need of a smoke break. They both had the nasty habit that never seemed to kick, which they both discovered when they interned at First Order back in their undergrad. Back then, lanky and awkward Ben Organa-Solo was a Civil Engineering major looking to make society just a little bit better. He caught the eye of Snoke during this time, who showed him that to really make the impact he wanted to, he needed to go to law school. His foresight showed Ben what he was capable of, and when Ben finished law school, Snoke brought him on and encouraged him to use his current alias _._ It was about this time when he last spoke to his mother or anyone from his family. He was finally his own man and he couldn’t be more thankful for it. 

His mind drifted off to the young attorney sitting at his mother’s side. Rey Kenobi, her name was. Ben wondered if there was any relation to old Ben Kenobi, the former DA for San Francisco that worked with his family back in the day. He was Ben’s namesake, beholden with all the promise and hope that he would turn out like him: a hero. 

But Ben was no hero. He never wanted to be. 

Before he could catch himself, he asked, “Who’s that new associate they have?”

Hux, already pulling out his American Spirit cigarettes from his pocket as the elevator docked at the lobby level, looked at Ben quizzically. 

“Why?” Hux jibed back with a slight smirk. Ben was notoriously a bachelor workaholic, so this sort of question must have been amusing.

As they walked out of the elevator, Ben kept his impassive mask on as he responded. 

“She interests me.”

All in all, it was not an untrue statement. He was professionally curious: it would help to know what kind of people would be involved in this case. But, beyond that, Ben was interested in a possible explanation for why this girl, Rey Kenobi, is still at the forefront of his mind hours after meeting her. She was striking, to be sure, and she was brave enough to have the balls to cuss out a stranger at a coffee shop. But deep in his gut, he knew there was another reason why she occupied precious real estate in his mind. 

And another reason why the gaze of hazel eyes set his chest aflame. 

Dress shoes clanked along the tile of the building lobby and then pavement, all while Hux placed an unlit cigarette in his mouth and continued to fumble with his zippo. 

“It’s not like you to show interest in anyone,” Hux commented as the pair of them walked towards the end of the block. They paused near an open alleyway and Hux began to flick the zippo and lit his cigarette. Ben simultaneously pulled his cigarettes out and groped around in his pockets for his gilded brass lighter in his suit pocket. He pulled it out and lit his cigarette to match his co-worker. 

“Yes,” Ben acknowledged as he pulled the cigarette out after his first drag, “However, I wonder if Organa has something up her sleeve with her. She doesn’t usually keep on associates for these sort of cases.”

Hux took a drag and dry-coughed briefly. That emphysema was sure to set in any day now.

"I’m surprised you don’t already know about her,” he replied, “She’s practically San Francisco political royalty. One would think you have previously interacted at this point.”

Ben shot an immediate glare at Hux at the suggestion. While they worked well together, they maintained a considerable distance in terms of companionship. Ben saw early on at First Order that Hux was nearly a master when it came to knowing about other people’s business. He was the last person that Ben trusted to keep his family secrets and, while it didn’t harm him now, he still could not help but think that it would become problematic later. 

“Unfortunately no,” Ben shot back, maintaining his glower and letting his cigarette burn.

Hux took another drag from his, meeting Ben’s stare with impassivity.

“She’s Ben Kenobi’s granddaughter,” he confirmed, “and is quite the young rising star. She’s worked with Organa on previous cases, and gave our Mitaka quite a run for his money at his old firm.”

“Is that right?” Ben replied as he took another long drag.

He was hardly surprised: Dopheld Mitaka was a lot of things, but a strong presence in the courtroom he was not. At First Order, he was relegated to mostly legal research and writing, in contrast to Ben’s constant appearances in Bay Area courtrooms ruining lives. But, what was surprising, was that Mitaka did have significant legal skills, so for him to be truly plucked, albeit in a courtroom situation, by a greener-than-green associate must only mean one thing. 

_She truly is good._ Must be the Kenobi blood: they’re always trying to do the best for society. What a shame, all that altruism going towards a sinking ship. 

“Yep, apparently she made quite the impression on Organa and she personally hired her right out of law school,” Hux continued as he took the last drag of his cigarette and stomped it out on the pavement. 

Leia Organa, in spite of her bleeding heart, had no time for weakling associates, no matter what family background they had. She only brought on people who were truly impressive. This was certainly a testament to Rey’s abilities.

But Ben would be able to snuff her out, surely. That spunk wouldn’t be able to hold up for long. 

He dropped his cigarette and smothered it with his dress shoe. 

“Hm, must be good then.” 

The pair began to walk down towards the First Order offices a few blocks down. They joined the congealed mess that was San Francisco foot traffic in near silence. Ben was deep in thought: Hux’s information did confirm that Rey Kenobi was one to be watched. Whether it was beyond professional or not, he wanted to learn more about this woman.

He wanted to put a name to the buzzing in the air when he caught her eyes, to the warmth in the air when he saw her in the office, to the torrid flame that consumed his chest when he first heard her speak his name. 

He needed to explain to himself why he was so insistent on keeping her delicate fingers in his palm when they shook hands. Kylo Ren didn’t do such a thing: Kylo Ren was power, strength, all-consuming in his quest for dominance. 

As the First Order Development building came into view, Ben decided on one thing.

_Time to do some research._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **San Francisco notes:**  
>  Somehow, as if its almost a requirement to be Silicon Valley rich, you must have obnoxious workout equipment. [Pelotons](https://www.onepeloton.com/) and [Mirrors](https://www.mirror.co/) are just two wonderful examples. 
> 
> [Soylent](https://soylent.com/) is disgusting, but something adored by techies here (due to the fast paced nature of their work). I imagine Ben would like the Chocolate Soylent the best.
> 
> In California, you aren't allowed to smoke within 500 feet of a public entrance (hence why Hux + Ben/Kylo smoke in an alleyway).
> 
> **Legal notes:**  
>  The mail notice statute mentioned is not held to super accurate detail, however, you do need to be given significant multiple notices for eviction. 
> 
> It would not be completely out of the realm of normal for Ben/Kylo to represent a landlord as a pro bono case. Corporate firms tend to set requirements for their pro bono cases and attorneys are heavily encouraged to do so in the State of California (50 hours at least per year is recommended, but not required). 
> 
> Surprisingly, most lawyers get along super well despite the fact they constantly have to work against each other. But that would make for a not-so-exciting story ;) 
> 
> Furthermore, it is not uncommon to settle out of court on these matters: having a lawyer in court is expeeeennnnnsssssssive as shit (the number of billable hours go through the roof). 
> 
> **SW notes:**  
> [(Battle of) Chyron Belt](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Battle_of_Chyron_Belt)  
> [Watto](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Watto)


	4. the emerging

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As he was mentally preparing himself to order his coffee once he stepped into Peet's, he saw the vision of brunette hair that haunted his mind and his internet history. The prized heir of San Francisco law royalty who had the misfortune to pique his interest and warrant his attention.
> 
> Without thinking, he muttered out loud, “The girl I’ve heard so much about.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO hello, its been a minute, huhh???
> 
> I must confess, I have unintentionally neglected this beautiful thing due to life being chaotic and a couple of other fics needing priority. I hope to update this fic more frequently in the new year as the plot begins to thicken as its one of my treasured babies <3 
> 
> That being said, however, I will probably take a few weeks off on updating this to write out the rest of the plot and feel good about it before rolling out the updates. I'm very much of the mindset of @beegoodamy who always says her WIPs are just resting when they haven't had recent updates. I never plan on being an author that doesn't finish her stories, and thus I convey this to you, my dear readers, that I will let this fic rest until about February so that I am more capable of doing regular updates and have a more outlined plot moving forward. 
> 
> In the meantime, I have other fics that may tickle your fancy that I will continue to update, and you can harass me on my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/korerosemarinus) where I often write microfics and post snippets of what I work on. 
> 
> Big thank you to my beta @storiesofreylo for the wonderful guidance and feedback <3 what would I be without you? 
> 
> Reference notes at the end. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 4: the emerging**

When the next morning arrived, Ben wasted no time initiating his research. As he stepped out of his Uber Black and onto the poorly maintained pavement in his pristine black Greggo Louboutins, he mused over how he would undergo such a mission. A simple Google search never failed him, however, he wanted to make sure he did his due diligence. It was what made him a good attorney and an even more dangerous opponent: he never skimped on the details. 

Ben learned a long time ago to never underestimate people - they were capable of just about anything. She seemed to ignite the air around her and draw him closer into her pull, muting all the sounds around them, and that alone set Ben off. He was always in control, whether it was in the courtroom or in his life, and any disturbance to that fact could not be tolerated. It was after he settled in his pristine leather office chair in his corner office that he realized how unnerved he was by the girl, and how that threatened not only the case but his sense of self. 

She absolutely needed to be eliminated as a threat. 

He needed to know everything. He needed to make sure he protected himself from whatever this girl posed to him.

His growing anger compelled him to relinquish his chair to take off his tailored black Tom Ford suit jacket and hang it on the door. He returned to his desk and took a minute pause to check the calendar for the day on his phone. 

In a small measure of divine grace, his calendar was empty for the day. He buzzed his secretary B.B. Nineyee, who responded to him with the highest level of professional propriety.

“Yes, sir?”

“I’m doing research for an upcoming case, I am not to be disturbed, is that understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

And with that, Ben dove deep into his work. His initial search pulled up Rey’s LinkedIn profile, which confirmed Hux’s initial observation that she was right out of law school. She finished top of her class at Stanford, much like him, which nearly tempted him to smirk at the visual of her running around the sunny and verdant campus. But, Ben was not a smiling person, and certainly not one that daydreams. Those extracurriculars were reserved for HR reps who worked dead-end tech jobs, not for a lawyer of his prestige. 

She also seemed to have had quite the number of respectable internships and fellowships, which made sense for someone of her caliber. Any self-respecting law student with a non-offensive grade point average would have an internship or two. But, to Ben, he knew one thing: people were not perfect, and they always have a weakness. They certainly didn’t achieve advances like that on their own. She must have had help along the way.

He switched to the News tab of his Google search and saw the answer to his questions. He straightened up in his chair and then bent over to take a better look on his laptop at a picture from an older San Francisco Chronicle article that showed a young woman, dressed in an immaculate black sheath dress and shoes, topped with a modest pearl necklace, standing next to an older man standing tall in a well to do suit and tie combination. The occasion seemed to be a party (and if Ben had to guess, it was probably at City Hall based on the historic marble floors). Her brown hair was in a bun, and her hazel eyes bore directly into the camera lens. In the picture, the two of them were smiling like the sun just came out, and were standing closer than just normal acquaintances would, indicating an affectionate familial relationship. Kylo could not relate to his own family, gladly so, but somehow he felt a small prick of wistful jealousy in his stomach. 

As Kylo looked further at the caption, the proverbial picture came into focus. Written underneath was:  _ Former San Francisco DA Ben Kenobi pictured with his granddaughter Rey _ . It confirmed what he already knew (and it was anything but scandalous) and he pondered about where to go from there. 

“Hm.”

After a few hours of scrounging news results and rumor sites, he found nothing to use as leverage. No drug overdoses, no romantic affairs with rising tech CEOs, no late night clubbing, not even a single parking ticket or DUI: It seemed like Rey Kenobi had a normal life of no report. And there was no evidence or even a hint of a bribe on her grandfather’s part to get her into her current position at his mother’s firm. She was truly beyond reproach: there were even mentions of her volunteering with housing and immigration relief nonprofits in the Mission, which was anything but damning. All in all, his research showed her to be a well-adjusted member of society. 

“Dammit,” Kylo huffed as he mussed his hair in frustration. There must be something out there that contradicts the “golden girl” visage of Rey Kenobi - he just needed to find it. 

He briefly wondered where her parents fit into this narrative, seeing as he couldn’t find a mention of them in his research. He made a note for later, his frustration-induced fatigue preventing him to do anything but look at a computer scene. 

He checked the time on his vintage Rolex and decided on a coffee break while his brain took a breather. He took the black marbled elevator to the street and walked down California Street to his local Peets. His usual afternoon coffee was a double espresso (although Hux insisted on calling it a “doppio” like the pretentious fuck he is) and they had a smoother espresso than the unbearable muck that they served at the Starbucks at the bottom of his building. On top of that, the small walk to Peet's allowed him a clandestine opportunity to get some beautiful city air that consisted of the weed smoke and piss smell that was somehow unique to San Francisco. 

As he was mentally preparing himself to order his coffee once he stepped into the coffeeshop, he saw the vision of brunette hair that haunted his mind and his internet history. The prized heir of San Francisco law royalty who had the misfortune to pique his interest and warrant his attention.

Without thinking, he muttered out loud, “The girl I’ve heard so much about.”

* * *

“Oh goddammit.”

“Everything alright, babes?” Rose said over the wall of their cubicle with somewhat genuine concern. At this point in their professional relationship, her and Rey were used to the constant swearing. It was almost a sanity check during their busy days. 

Rey groaned and quickly responded, “Yes, I’m just hitting a dead end with this research.”

“Guess that Stanford law degree was for nothing then, huh?” Rose sarcastically quipped. 

Rey chucked, “Yeah, guess so.”

“Anything I can help with?” Rose suggested.

Rey shook her head, “Nah, but thanks bubs. I just need to rethink my approach.” 

That entire morning, Rey dedicated her efforts to understanding who Kylo Ren was. One would think Kylo Ren was some digital ghost; some enigma that simultaneously existed and vanished in some sense of reality. He was like a ghostly whisper of a breeze that you couldn’t see but knew was there. However, Rey definitely felt the skin of his hand touch hers during that meeting at the firm. There was an unmistakable warmth in his hands that matched hers, trickling up into her bloodstream throughout her body. In fact, she could almost recall some semblance of a heartbeat through her fingertips: she knew beyond a doubt Kylo Ren was a real full-grown human man. So why didn’t he fully exist?

In his limited internet presence, Rey found a plethora of victorious legal battles under Kylo’s belt. It was clear that his talent as a lawyer was completely disrobing and dismantling his opponents through the smallest of loopholes that no one saw coming. In the limited video material of his cross examinations, he was strategically vicious, leaving no topic off limits. His tactics were so legally ruthless most law professors would blanche at the behavior. No wonder First Order Development owned so much of the city: they had a rabid cur on the payroll. Rey would be impressed if he wasn’t using his talents to destroy the lives of good, honest people. . He was exactly the sort of man she loathed: someone who would pull apart his opponent just because he could. 

She checked her beat-up leather watch and elected for a quick coffee break. The Peet's on California Street was her usual go-to in the afternoon, if she did go out for one at all. She hadn’t fully relinquished her inherited habit of having Folgers and normally she’d have some from the firm’s break room to tide her over until the end of the work day. But something about today told her to go to the Peets and treat herself to a medium latte.

Rey got up from her office chair and stretched her back before grabbing her purse from her cubicle hook. 

“Hey,” she said, knocking on Rose’s cube, “I’m going out for coffee, want anything?” 

Rose looked up from her draft of a H-1B support letter and grinned in response. “Thanks babes but I’m alright, enjoy your break!”

“I’ll try!” Rey responded cheerfully as she walked towards the marble elevator. She went through her private twitter on her phone as it went down to the street. She got lost in her heels tapping on the pavement and her muscle memory took her to the Peet’s storefront.

She walked into the familiar and ubiquitous tiled storefront of Peet's and waited to order. Rey was, like any other San Franciscan, raised with proper coffee edicate: she said absolutely nothing to anyone until it was her time to be called. It was only common decency, after all. 

She was nearly at the cash wrap when she heard a familiar voice from the man who had been the sole object of her personal research for the last five hours.

“The girl I’ve heard so much about.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **San Francisco Notes**  
>  I LOVE me some fashion, so here are shots of Ben's [shoes](http://us.christianlouboutin.com/us_en/shop/men/greggo-flat-4.html) and [jacket](https://www.neimanmarcus.com/p/tom-ford-oconnor-base-solid-two-piece-130s-wool-master-twill-suit-black-prod212050032?childItemId=NMM3ASZ_&navpath=cat000000_cat000470_cat14120827_cat48730755&page=0&position=11).
> 
> [Peet's](https://www.peets.com/) (as I think I've probably mentioned in an earlier chapter) is a national coffeeshop chain but one that is particularly prolific on the West Coast. Their espresso is much better than Starbucks', and that is a god-given fact. My friends and I (and I would imagine most Bay Areans) find them to be an alternative to Starbucks as they both have similar variety in drinks. 
> 
> **Immigration Notes**  
>  H-1B is a classification of a work-based visa for someone of a "Specialty Occupation", which is generally evaluated based on education needed and characteristics of the job the person is expected to work. As part of the petition, a support letter from the employer stating why the visa holder is crucial to their business needs and is "special" is needed. Rose is probably preparing one for a software engineer (considered to be a Specialty Occupation due to the high level of specific STEM knowledge required of the role) who is employed by a tech company. 
> 
> When I was an immigration paralegal, this was the most common visa classification I prepared petitions for (e.g. 100s for one company every month). Not everyone who qualifies and applies gets selected for the visa category, as it is initially determined by an annual lottery. In recent times, the eligibility to receive a H-1B visa is slim, as the discretion over who is considered "special" is determined by the US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) (an institution under the US Dep't of Homeland Security) officer looking over the petition in the moment. 
> 
> Americans: file immigration policy under "Reasons why voting is important".
> 
> **SW Notes:**  
> [B.B. Nineyee (BB-9E)](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/BB-9E)


End file.
